Inspecting device



Mar. 6,1923. 1 '1,447,176

F. G. HENRY INSPECTING DEVICE F11ed Reb. :5, 1921 4 sheets-sheet 1 Mar. 6, 1923. y 1,447,176

' F. G. HENRY INSPEGTING DEVICE Mar.' 6, 1923. 1,447;16

` v F. G. HENRY INSPEGTING DEVICE 4 sheetsheaz 5 Filed Feb. 5, 1921 Mar.6,1923. d A Lzmnvs F. G. HENRY INSPECTING DEVICE Flled Feb. 5, 1921 l4fmeets-f-,hema 4 Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

UNITE- STATS T il 'Fi C E '.12] y FERDINAND G. HENRY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ELS-SIGNOR, BY MESN ASSIGNMENTS, TO WALDEN`KNIFE COMPANY, 0F WALDEN, YORK, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW YORK.

insrncrrne DEVICE.

`Application Aled February 3, 1921. Serial No. 442,066.

To all lw hom t may concern l Be it known that I, FERDINAND Gr. HENRY, va-citizen of the United States, residing at 2908 No. 26th St., North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in nspecting Devices, of which the following is a clear, full,

and exact description.- v

This invention relates to inspecting devices and more particularlyto devices for use in inspecting'the edgesof blades.

. The invention isparticularly designed to be applied to a device for use in inspecting the edges of thin removable blades such as are employed incertain classes of safety razors and is shown as embodied in avdevice particularly adapted to be employed in this operation. Y V- Y One of the principalobjects of the invention is to produce adevice byv means of which the cutting edges of razor blades may be inspectedy lquickly and easily to deter- ,inine the condition of the same.

'In accordance with this object, the present device is provided with a microscope through which the edges of blades may be inspected and the inventor contemplatesas a fea-ture of theinvention the provision of means for presenting a blade .in predetermined relation to the miscroseope so that its edge may be inspected through the same. Preferably the bladel locating means comprises a blade guideway through which the blades may be passed in succession and in which a blade may be held while its edge is inspected, this guideway being located in predetermined relation to the miscroscope. In' the kembodiment of the invention illustratedherein, the guideway is constructed for the passage of blades endwise therethrough, the endwise movement of a blade carryingthe blade from the pointy at which it is inserted in the guideway into position to be inspected through the miscroscope and romthe latter position to the point at which it is discharged from lthey guideway. Preterably, the blades arey carried through the rgnidewayby mechanism arranged to be control/led by vthepperator..Y

. Aff ther object of the inventionis to produce a blade .Y inspecting device by which blades in largequantities may be handled rapidly and 'eiifi'cientlyl in presenting the blades l in position to be inspected and in delivering theA blades after they are inspected. lWith this object in view thevinvention comprises blade handling mechamsm involving certain novell and improved features, combinations of parts and constructions hereinafter described and particularly pointed out intheclaims.' l y y 'v The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawings illustrating a device embodying the'invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings, A Fig. l is a plan view of a device embodying the invention; i

e F 1g; 2 is aisectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; i' i F 3 is a View in side elevation vice looking from the left; l f Fig. 4. is a view in vertical ysection taken substantially on the line 4-4 oit' Fig. 3; i..

of the del Fig. is a view in vertical section taken.v

substantially on the line 5 5 vof Fig. 1;

. Fig. .6 is a viewfin vertical section taken substantiallyonthe line (3*6 of F l;

Fig. 7 is a view p'artly in plan and partly in horizontal section illustrating the normal mole of operation of.Y certain of theparts; an

Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to. Fig. 7 illustrating the mode .of operation ofi' the parts in discharging a defective blade.

In the preferred form of the inventiony illustrated in the drawings, a microscope 2 supported on the frame is provided through which the edges of razor blades be inspected. The blades are presented in predetermined yposition with relation tothe microscope so that the. edges thereof may beinspected therethrough by passing the blades through a .guideway preferably constructed for the passage of the blades therethrough in a direction substantially parallel with the blade plane. This guideway is indicated at 4: in the drawings and as shown Ais con'- f structed for the passagey of the blades endwise through thesame,.the guideway having a slightly greater width and thicknessjfthan the blades tol be inspected. VThe guideway isv ormed'by registering ygrooves in revolcon-` tacting plates 6 and of thermachine.. .v

The parts arek preferably constructed so 'that a blade may be inspected while itis located in a `porti-on of the guideway intermediate the ends .thereof and totliisendthe g 8 secured to'` the .l Y

plates-6 and 8 andthe adjacent part of the frame are cut away forming a recess 10 to expose the edge of a blade when the blade is located in the guideway in line .With the recess.

The microscope is located so that it may be directed at the edge ot a blade projecting into the recess 10 preferably at an angle of substantially 135o to the body of the blade. rlhis location of the microscope enables the proile of zthe blade edge and any blunt spots on the edge to bereadily seen.

'The microscope is mounted on an arm 11 adjustably vsecuredby a screw 12 to ya support 13 which in turn. is adjustably secured by a screw 14 to-thefframe of the machine. By the adjustment of the arm 11 about the axisof screw 12 and'by the adjustment or the support 13.- about the screuv 14 the microscope may lbe adjusted angularly in two perpendicular planes, each containing the axis of the microscope to locate the same in the proper angular' position. 'The microscope is longitudinally movable in the; arm 11 to enable the same'to'be focused on Vthe edge of a blade and is held in. adjusted position by means of a set screw 14a.

The edge of a blade to ,be inspected is lightedby means of :a light 15 mounted within a casing 16 and the rays from Ythe light are preferably concentrated by means of a suitable lens (not shown) located Within the casing. Preferably also a reiiector is located in the casing behind the light to increase the light directed upon the blade,

The light' is preferably located so thatthe rays therefrom are directed at an angle ot substantially 135 to thebody et the blade under inspect-ion.y as shown in Fig. 6. YVhen the microscope and the light are located relatively to the blade as shoivn'and described. the profile'of the edge of the blade Will show clearly through the microscope and also if any parts of the blade edge are blunted .or dulled, this condi-tion `may be plainly seen. The location of the microscope and light with relation to the blade and to each other may be varied as found by experiment to give the best results.

The casing 16, in which the light is mounted. isisecured `for adjustment about ahorizontal airis to a'vertical postor rod 17. rThe rod 17 is mounted on the outer end Otan arm 18 adjustably secured to the frame by means of a .stud 19 vextending through a longitudinallslot inthe` arm. .This manner ot mountthe" lightenab'les the same to be adjusted forwardly `and rearwardly and angularly in vertical and horizon-,tal planes to locate the same in proper position.

The Vblades are lpreferably delivered in successionrinto the guideway 4 'by a movement' of the 'bladesin a direction substantially normal Vtothe bla-de A.plane and to-.thiS-end the frame is formed with an opening '20 through which the blades avre'delivered. The blades are carried in succession through the guideway preferably by means of a reciprocatory blade actuator. Infthe present construction the blade actuator indicated at 22 consists of a thin blade-like member mounted to slide longitudinally in the guide- Way 4 and arranged to engage the blades and pushthe same through the guideway. The blade actuator 22 is reciprocated in the guideway 4 by mechanism arranged to be actuated by the operator so that its movement is under the operators control. 1The blade actuator has vthe following mode of operation. After a blade is carried through the opening '2O into the guideway '4, the blade actuator which is then in its extreme leit hand position, is moved to the right by the operator until the'blade is carried into a position-opposite'the,recess `10and is stopped at this point. "The blade is'then inspected and thereafter the-blade actuator is moved still farther to the rightto carry the blade into position to be discharged from the guidevvay. 'The actuator is then moved'backto its-extremeleft hand position.

The mechanism through which the blade actuator is moved in this manner comprises a rod`24 secured'tothe left hand end ofthe actuator and a slide bar'Q mounted'to slide longitudinally in suitable guides in the frame and carrying anarm' 28 surrounding the rod 24v and movable longitudinally thereof. Theblade actuator"22 carries -a stop 100 block'SO which limits the movementfo'f "the actuator to the right anda coiled spring 32 is interposed between said stop blockl and the arm 28 and normally holdssaid arxnin engagement with a stop collar 84 mounted 105 on the rod E24. The slide bar`26 lisreciprocated. longitudinally by means of a' lever '36 pivoted at'38 on the frame, the forwardly extending arm of `Which engages betweeen lugs on the slide bar, and the laterally ex- 110 tending arm of which is-arra-nged 4to'be actuated by the operator. 'Thevreciprocating movements imparted to the ,slide bar 26 reciprocate the blade actuator 22 through the action of spring V32 and the engagement 115 ort-arm Q8 with collar 34.

The .perfect blades are discharged from the guideivay 22 also-preferably' by amovement of the blades 'ina direction substantially normal to the-blade-plane andto-"t-his 120 end an opening 40 is formedqin rtvher'ame through which the bladesare discharged.

The blades in thepresent machine are delivered successively through f' the opening 2O into the guideway 4from-afgalley '42 125 and are transferred vfrom said guideway through the opening 40 into `a galley These galleys preferably are identica-lain Constructionv fand `.are removably moir-rniaarlir in the machine so that 'they ymay be carried 1520 the blades, the receiving galley of one ma-` chineA after being lledwith blades, being employed as the supply galley ofthe neXt machine. The galleys are removably `mounted in suitable receiving grooves formed in' the frame of the machine as shown clearly in Fig. .2, the grooves being preferably'arranged to locate the galleys inpositions substantially'perpendicular to the guideway 4. The galleys are eac-h provided with acentral guideway formed by lateral ribs 46 adapted to receive a series of blades placed face to face as shown in Fig. 7.

To enable the blades to be delivered freely from the supply galley beveled pins 50` rare mounted on the frame of the machine in po,- sition to engage beveledy faces on the -retaining pawls and force the pawls back out` of blade engaging position when the galley is placed in operating position `in themachine as shown in Fig. l. f

Theblades are forced along the supply galley in ay direction substantially normal to the blade plane to carry the samesuccfes--` sively through the opening 20 by meansof an arm 52'arrangedto engage.- the rear blade of a pack in the galley as shown in Fig. l. The arm 52 is secured to a slide block 54 mounted `to slide longitudinally on a rody 56 supported at'its endsin the vframe. To the slide block 54 is secured one end vof a cable S-pass-ing about guidepulleys 60 and` 62,'to ther other end of which cable is ses cured a weight 64. The weight 64 tendsto force the block 54 and the arm 52 toward the forward end of the supply galley and car' ries the pack of blades along the galley as' the blades are passed successively through the guide way 4 by the blade actuator 22. The retaining pawls 48 of the receiving galley are preferably allowed to assume their' normal positions as shown in 1 and each blade after it is moved into registrationwith the opening 40 is pushed from the guidewav 4 b v mea-ns of a reciprocatory pusher 66 arf ranged to engage the iorward face of the' blade and to push the same from the guidewa-y 4 into the receiving galley as shown in F195. T. During its movement the ends of the blade engage the beveled ends of the retaining pa'wls and force the same bach` and'` the blade is finally carried past the shoulders on the gawls. the pawls then springing inwardly into blade retaining positions. Reciprocating movements are imparted tothe pusher 66 from the slide bar 26. :To this end the'pusher carries a pin 66 depending therefrom, which engages in a .cani groove Each galley carV ries at one end spring retaining pawls 48- formed in the slide bar 26; The vright hand portion of a cam' groove 70 is substantially parallel with-theslide bar'26-and the kleft hand end thereof'is formedfwitliI an` in- Cline as clearly shown inthe drawings. As the lever 36 is swung in al direction to carry the slide bar 26 to the right from' its extreme left hand position,v` the pusher 66 is held stationary by the engagement ofthe pin 68 in the right handr portion ofthe cam groove 70 until the blade actuator 22 carries a blade into"position to enter the opening `40,'themovement of the blade'actuator then beingl stopped by the engagement of thestop vblock 30 withv the framel of the machine. After this occurs the movement ofthe lever 36 is continued, thereby moving the slide bar i 26 independently of the bladel actuator against the tension of the spring 32. During this kmovement of the slide bar the pusher'66 is' actuated through the engagement of the-pin 68 in the vincline in the cam groove 70` tol push the blade from the guideway 4 intothe supply galley.- As the lever 36 isr swung in the reversefdirection, the slide bar 26l lis first moved to the left independently of the bladel .actuatortoretract the'pusher 66 until the arm 28 engages the Stop 34. The continued movement of the lever then moves the blade actuator to the leftwiththe slide bar.

Itis not' desirable thatthe blades, the edg'esfof which are foundupon inspection to beimperfechshould beidelivered into the receiving ,galley with they perfect blades.y To avoid the delivery of animperfect blade into the receiving galley, the operative movement of vthe lever 36 "following the'in' spection `of such a blade isstopped beforethe pusher 66 is actuated to push the blade from the guideway into the receiving galley. To.

this end the laterally extending arm ofthe lever 36carries a pivoted stop dog '72, the f rearv arm'of which is arranged to engage a projection74 on a bracket secured to the frame of they machine to stop the movement of the lever. Thev stop dog is normally held byk a spring y7 6 in the position shown in Fig. 7 i "with a projection thereon engaging a stop.-

vpin 78 securedfin the leverI 36. When the stop dog is inthis position the lever 36 is free to swing to the end' of' its operative movement-.When, upon-the inspection .of a blade, the edge-thereof is found ytobe defective,'the operator grasps thelaterall-y eX- tending arm ofthe stop dog `72 and swings the same baclr into engagement with a stop pin 80 secured in the lever 36,'as shown. in' Fig. 8. When the stop dogis in the position vshown in this figure, theoperative movement of the lever 36 is stopped bythe engagement ofthe rear arm'of the stop dog with the projection 74 with the partsin the position shown in Fig. 8. A blade is thus carried by theI .movement of the blade actus f ator imparted thereto by this v mi)weinent off lever rinto the right hand end ot the guideivay et, but t iepusher 66 is still held in retracted position ivhen the movement of the lever is arrested. As the next blade is carried by theblade actuator tl'irough'theguideway l into position to enter the opening et), the detective blade'is pushed beyond the said opening into the extreme end oi: the guideway by the engagement ot the second blade therewith shown in Fig. 9. This detective blade will be finally ejected fromthe guideivay by the next detective blade as the latter blade is carried into the eXtreme end ot' the guideivay.

It is to be understood that certain iea'tures ot the presentinvention are not limited to machines for inspecting safety razor blades, but that they may be embodied in machines Lt'or use in inspecting other kinds of razor blades and also that certain features may,Y be applied to machines for inspecting blades other than razor blades. lt is also to be understood that except as defined in the claims, the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts ot' the illustrated" embodiment ot the invention, but that the invention may be embodied in other forms Wit-hin the scopeot' the claims.

What l claim as nevv is:

l. A machine for inspecting the edges oi' lades hav-ing in combination a microscope,

.means for supporting` the microscope, and

means for relatively presenting to each other the microscope and a blade Wit-h its edge exposed and locating said edge in predetermined' pos-ition With relation to the microscope so that its edge may be inspected thereth rough.

2. A machine Jor inspecting the edges ot hladeshaving in combination a microscope,

means 'tor supporting the microscope, andy means under control of the operator for presenting a blade to the microscope ivithits edge exposedand locating said edge in predetermined position ivith relation to the microsco Je so `that its edge may be insoect-ed therethrough.

3. A machine for inspecting blades having' in combination a microscoivie, means for supporting the saine ma lined position, a blade guideivav located in predetermined relation u A machine for inspecting blades having in combination amicroscope, means for supn porting the samein a lined position, a blade guideivay located in predetermined relation to said microscope so that the edge of a blade may be inspected ivhile held at a point in' said guideivay, means for moving blades in successiony through the guidevvay, and a supply galley arranged to deliver blades to said gu-ideivay.

6. A machine 'tor inspectingblades having in combination a microscope, means for supporting the samein alixed position, a blade guideivay located inpredetermined relation to said microscope so that the edge of a blade may be inspected While held ata point in said guideivay, means' for moving blades in succession through the guideivay, and a receiving galley for receiving blades from said guidevvay.

7; A machine for inspect-ing blades having in combination a supply galley having a gmideu'ay arranged to hold a series ot blades placed tace to-'tace, a similar receivingv galley, a microscope, and` means for takingl blades succession'firom the supply galley presenting the same in predetermined position with relationf to said microscope so that the edges thereof may be inspected and deliveringthe saine into the receiving galley.

S. A machine for inspecting blades having in combination a microscope, means for supporting the same in ar fixed position, a blade guidevvay located in predetermined relationy to said microscopel so that the edge of a blade may be inspected While held ati a point in said guideway, a recipricatory blade actuator mountedto'slide longitudinally of the gnideivay and means under control oit the operator for impartingreciprocatory movements to the blade actuator.

9. A machine for inspecting blades having in combinationa microscope, means for supporting the'microscopeA in fixed position, a'

blade guidevray located in predetermined ren lation to said microscope so that the edges of' blades may be inspected While held at a point in said guideway, a supply galley for delivering blades to saidguideway, a receiv ing galley for receiving blades from said guideivay, a reciprocatory bla-de actuator mounted to slide longitudinally of theguide- Way and means under control of the operator torimparting reciprocatory movements to the blade actuator.

l0. A machine for inspe'cting'blades having in combination a; microscope, means-tor locating a blade with its edgein' predeter# mined relation to themicroscopeso that said' edge may be inspectedthrcugh the micro'- scope and means for illuminating the edge ofla bladeA located in inspectingpostion.

ll. A machine forl nspecting'blades having in combinationmeansf for locating.` and.

holding abladevvith itsledgeiin predeter-l mined inspectinr position, and a microscope .directed ob iquely from one side of a blade held in such posit-ion against the edge thereof.

12. A machine for inspecting blades having in combination means for locating and holding a blade with its edge in predetermined inspecting position, a microscope directed obliquely from one side of the blade against the edge thereof and means for directing a light obliquely from the opposite side of a blade held in such position against the edge thereof.

13. A machine for inspecting blades having in combination means for locating and holding a blade. With its edge in predetermined inspecting position, and a microscope directed obliquely from one side of a blade held in such positionagainst the edge thereof at substantially an angle or" 135C to the body of the blade.

14, A machine for inspecting blades having in combination mea-ns for holding a blade in inspecting position, a microscope directed obliquely from one side of the blade against the edge thereof at substantially an angle of 135O to the body of the blade and means for directing a light ob liquely from thel opposite side of the blade against the edge thereof at substantially an angle of 135 to the body of the blade.

15. A machine for inspecting blades having in combination a microscope, a blade receiving device, means for presenting y a blade in predetermined relation to said microsco-pe so that its edge may be inspected therethrough, means forv projecting the blades into the receiving device and means under control of the operator for preventing the projection of a defective blade into the receiving device.

16. A machine for inspecting blades having in combination a microscope, a blade receiving device, means for presenting a blade in predetermined relation to said microscope s0 that its edge may be inspected there-v throughmeans under control of the oper-4 ator for projecting the blades into the receiving device and a stop under control of the operator for preventing the projecting of al defective blade into the receiving device byv said means.

17. A blade inspecting device having in combination a microscope, a blade guidevvay located in predetermined relation to the microscope so that the edge of a blade may be inspected While held at a point in said guide- Way, a blade receiving device, a blade actuator for moving blades through the guide- Way, a device for projecting blades into the receiving device, means under control of the operator acting rst to move the blade actuator to carry a blade through the guide- Way to ,discharging position and lthen to move the projecting device to project the blade from the guideWay and means under control of the operatorfor preventing the operationl of theprojecting device by said means. l l

18. A blade inspecting device having in combination a microscope, a blade guideway located in predetermined relation to the mi-- croscope so that the edge of a blade may be inspected While held at a point in said guide- Way, a blade receiving device, a blade actuator for moving blades through kthe guide- Way, a device for projecting blades into the receiving device, means `under control of the operator acting first to move the bladeactuator rtol carry a blade through the guideWay to discharging position and then to move the projecting device to project the blade from the guideivay and means under control of the operator for stopping they operation of said last means before' the projecting device is operated.

19. A machine for inspecting the edges I of blades, having in combination, means for locating a 1 blade in inspecting position, lighting means arranged to illurru'nate the edge and to -sh'ovv kthe profileof a blade, yand amicroscope arranged so that the edge and profile of a blade may be inspectedv therethrough. y

20. A machine for inspecting the edges of blades having, in combination, a microscope and means for taking the blades insuccession and presenting the same to the microscope, with the edge of each blade located in the same predetermined position With relation to the microscope so that said edge may be inspected through the microscope. 21. vA machine for inspecting the edges of blades having, in combination, a microscope,

ablade supply holder, a blade receiving -device, and means for taking theblades in succession from the supply holder, presenting the same to the microsco e With the edge of each blade located in t e same predetermined position With relation to the microscope so that said edge may be inspected through the microscope and thereafter discharging the blade into` the receiving device.

22. A machine for inspecting the edges of blades having, in combination, a microscope and means for holding a blade `and forrelav 

